Malaria transmission and morbidity patterns in holoendemic areas of Imo River Basin of Nigeria

BACKGROUND: This study determines the relationship between malaria transmission intensity and morbidity in holoendemic areas of Imo River Basin, Nigeria. RESULTS: Standard entomological and parasitological techniques were used to determine transmission intensity and parasite rates respectively while sociocultural methods and review of hospital records were used to determine morbidity patterns. The average transmission rate was 16.1 infective bites per person per night (ib/p/n). The average malaria specific morbidity rate for the study area was 30.2%. These parameters showed no significant differences among the communities studied (P > 0.05). Transmission intensity and morbidity rate had a linear relationship such that high transmission intensity corresponded with high morbidity rate and vice versa. CONCLUSIONS: This therefore puts to rest discrepancies about the relationship between malaria transmission and morbidity in the study area and calls for serious scaling up of the insecticide treated nets strategy especially in high transmission areas and seasons. Concerted efforts should also be made towards production of transmission blocking vaccines.